Adventures in Candy Land
by Olympian
Summary: Heroes aren't born, they're made. And often times, they're not made willingly... [please review. thankies]
1. Prologue

Years have passed since King Kandi and the Candy Castle were found. Lord Licorice has been banished and Licorice Castle now sits an abandoned ruin in the heart of Candy Land. The King's subjects have resumed their lives as if their liege had never been missing. The Cookie Patrol has worked to protect the realm, resulting in a long period of peace. However, a land across the Ice Cream sea is growing in power under a new leader. Queen Frostine has just arrived at Candy Castle to offer her husband council about these troubling events.  
  
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This story is based on the game Candy Land if you can't already tell. Candy Land and all it's characters were created by and are registered trademarks of Milton Bradley. I in no way claim rights to any of them. Please don't sue me. 


	2. Queen Frostine's Council

King Kandi sat on his sugar-sprinkled throne. His ice cream-topped peppermint staff leaned against his leg. One of his hands gripped the arm of his throne while he absentmindedly twirled his bright pink curls with the other. He was a short man and a bit plump. Kandi's face sported bushy pink eyebrows, large rosy cheeks, button nose, thick pink moustache and a short goatee of the same color. Atop his head sat a crown almost as large, shaped like a scoop of ice cream topped with a cherry. He also wore a shirt plated with mock-cookies and with sleeves that were textured to look like they were made of bonbons. On his legs he wore golden-colored breeches. Both belt and stockings were patterned like candy canes.  
  
A footman entered the room and announced the arrival of his guest.  
  
"Her Majesty, Queen Frostine of Candy Land."  
  
"Let her in," ordered Kandi.  
  
Queen Frostine gracefully drifted into the large hall. The walls and floor were glazed and shone brightly with the reflection of the light that streamed through the windows. She was slender and a head taller than the King. She wore a periwinkle ball gown with white accents. Her semi- transparent hair of the same color flowed down to the middle of her puffed- out skirts. Frostine's high forehead was crowned with a five-pointed coronet of silver. In her hand she held her thin staff that was topped with a crystal snowflake. King Kandi picked up his staff and descended from the dais where the throne was placed.  
  
"Hello, my dear. I trust your journeys in the Ice Cream Sea went well," he said.  
  
"They did, my lord," the Queen replied "The Ice Cream Float suits me."  
  
"I hate that you must be away from it," Kandi answered solemnly. "I know you love the Sea because you were raised on its shores."  
  
"Yes. But the reason I have come here is far more important to me."  
  
The King looked away and they started to walk through the palace side by side. "I am aware that there is a strange power growing to the east."  
  
"Yes, my lord. The Acrid Kingdom on the other side of the Ice Cream Sea is unifying under a strong new leader, Duke Bitter. Refugees have brought me stories of a continually growing army and navy. They say Bitter has conquered many of the neighboring countries and will soon set his sights on Candy Land."  
  
"Duke Bitter," repeated the King "At least we now have a name for this mysterious enemy but how shall we defend ourselves? Even if the refugees' reports aren't half exaggerated, the Cookie Patrol will be outnumbered. And our people are peace-loving. Most have no idea of how to fight."  
  
Queen Frostine scrunched her small, delicate nose and tightened her thin lips in disapproval. She hated the idea of a war. "Perhaps there is a way to defeat this enemy without great waste of life."  
  
"I don't see how. Our methods are quite primitive compared to the rumors of his highly-disciplined forces."  
  
"I wasn't thinking of armies," Frostine responded calmly. They entered a small courtyard that was full of multi-colored lollipops that were slowly growing to full size. "We have a weapon far greater than any battering-ram."  
  
"We do?" he asked.  
  
"Does my lord remember who found you when you had been hidden from the realm?"  
  
"The Candy Land Kids," said the King, recalling those events many years ago when two golden-haired children had found him and his missing castle.  
  
"Exactly," she replied. "Those two are destined to help protect Candy Land. They did it once and now, you must call upon them to do it again."  
  
"So be it," said Kandi. "I shall summon them immediately. I just hope we aren't already too late." 


	3. A Mysterious Rider

"Maddy!" called Mrs. Vanilla "Get up!"  
  
Madison sat up quickly and threw off the covers of her bed. She had overslept again. After throwing on a white poet's shirt, worn brown breeches and stockings, the thirteen-year-old bounded down the stairs to the kitchen. Mrs. Vanilla, a plump old woman, stood there with a warm breakfast dumpling, a tin that held her lunch and a wooden bucket. Maddy grabbed them all, opened the tin and tossed the dumpling in. Mrs. Vanilla's weathered face creased in a knowing smile. She brushed her wrinkled hands against her flour-dusted apron that she wore over a blue dress with white pinstripes. Maddy noticed some of her whitened hair had come loose from its bun.  
  
"Where's Tyler?" Maddy inquired about her twin brother.  
  
"Already out picking, dear," Mrs. Vanilla responded.  
  
"Okay. See you later!" Maddy said over her shoulder as she ran out the door.  
  
"Don't forget you're in the northeastern hills today!" the older woman called after her.  
  
Maddy ran away from the small half-timbered cottage and into the rolling Jelly Bean Hills. Sun shone brightly down as she headed northeast. Mrs. Vanilla was too old to harvest the jelly beans off of her many acres of land so that job went to Tyler and herself. Ahead of her, Maddy saw a figure walking up a rather steep hill, dressed much like her in a light blue shirt and breeches. She put on an extra burst of speed and caught up to her brother.  
  
"Took you long enough," he said.  
  
"Hey!" she said between small gasps for air "I can't help it that I'm not a morning person!!"  
  
Tyler looked at her. Her hair had darkened with age and was now more of a part-strawberry, part-dirty blond that she let hang down to mid-chest level. She was pretty, with big blue eyes, small chin, elegant nose and high cheekbones. He had changed, too. His hair was still fairly golden-hued but he had cut it short in recent years. His eyes had turned to a dark brown and his face was now finely sculpted, with thin lips and a decided jaw. And, of course, they had both gotten taller. Tyler was glad that they had grown up. He hoped that they could leave behind their past, and their fame. They were the 'Miracle Twins,' the Candy Land Kids.  
  
The two approached the area of the farm they were to work on that day. Maddy sat down on the top of one of the beautiful green hills crowned with jelly beans to munch on her breakfast dumpling while her brother went to work. Maddy didn't want to think of herself as lazy, she just didn't always have the patience to be out picking most of the day.  
  
Maddy lay on her stomach and savored the feeling of the warm sun on her back and cool emerald grass beneath her. She let her eyes wander to the jelly beans on this hill. There was a large patch of watermelon, some root beer, a few strawberry daiquiri and a spattering of buttered popcorn. Now, her sight went to her brother, busy filling his basket with the tasty little beans. He looked so intense when he was picking, it was a bit hilarious to her. Maddy's eyes now stayed to the hills rolling out in front of her. Then, she saw a cloud of dust heading along the road that ran through the main valleys of the farm.  
  
"Whoa, what's that?" she said to no one in particular. Standing up, Maddy followed the dust cloud with sharp eyes that quickly spotted a dark shape in front. Tyler, who had noticed his sister's sudden interest in something, came running to her side.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, following her glance to the main road that lay to the west.  
  
"A rider."  
  
Tyler glanced at the galloping horseman and nodded. "Yeah, a rider going like he's on fire. But where?"  
  
They looked after him for a few moments then turned towards one another and spoke in unison, each with the same sense of urgency.  
  
"Home." 


	4. Heroes Aren't Born

Maddy and Tyler bounded down the hill, leaving their lunch tins and buckets forgotten. They were heedless to the fact that some of the precious candies were being crushed underfoot. Pushing their muscles, they pressed on, feeling the soft ground under their shoes. They couldn't think of what might bring a messenger, riding like a demon no less, to a little-known jelly bean farm. As they crested some of the last hills, they saw that the horse was already tied outside and the rider had gone in. Reaching into their reserves of energy, the twins thundered towards the cottage.  
  
They reached the dirt area in front of the house but barely slowed their pace. The horse whinnied at these startling arrivals. Maddy was the first to reach the building. She twisted the brass knob, swung open the sturdy wooden door and burst in, with Tyler close on her heels. Mrs. Vanilla and a man, they supposed he was the rider, sat by the hearth. Both looked up, startled and the sudden appearance of two panting adolescents. All were speechless for a moment and all that could be heard was the erratic breathing of the twins and the crackle of the small cooking fire. Then, Mrs. Vanilla spoke, hesitant at first.  
  
"Maddy, Tyler, this man came for you."  
  
Tyler swallowed and stood up straighter. The man was in his young twenties with short, light brown hair and piercing green eyes. He wore finely stitched clothes beneath his gray cloak. They were a white shirt under a pink tunic. Tyler recognized those colors. They were used by the king's heralds and messengers. He looked to Maddy, who returned his gaze. From that, he knew she'd seen this as well. The rider slowly stood, bowed and addressed them cordially.  
  
"My liege, King Kandi, Imperial Head Bonbon and Grand Jujube of Candy Land, requests your aid in a most disturbing matter that threatens the security of the realm. He has sent me to escort you to Candy Castle at once."  
  
Was he serious? Tyler and Maddy stood speechless. It took a moment for the message to sink in. They were going to be whisked off to Candy Castle, on the other side of the realm, just like that? Why? What could possibly be so important? Tyler's confusion somehow turned to indignity and he spat out the first thing that came to his mind.  
  
"And if we don't want to go?"  
  
"Tyler!" Mrs. Vanilla exclaimed, "You must go."  
  
Now it was Maddy's turn to speak. She matched her brother's sentiment because she knew exactly what had made him defiant of the royal request.  
  
"He's right," she said, "we're not the Candy Land Kids anymore."  
  
This was more than the messenger could take. He looked from one of the twins to the other, desperately.  
  
"Bu-but-" he stammered, quite bewildered.  
  
"Both of you, sit!" said Mrs. Vanilla, hands on hips. They turned to her but remained standing. They were beyond unwilling to go. They despised the idea. "Now!" she barked. Maddy and Tyler knew that tone of voice and both obeyed immediately. Even the herald quickly retreated into the armchair he had been seated in before their appearance. Mrs. Vanilla looked sternly at the twins.  
  
"Ma'am, this-this isn't necessary," the herald jabbered after a pause. She didn't give him a thought.  
  
"You two finding His Majesty was the greatest thing that ever happened in Candy Land," she said, looking them both straight in the eye.  
  
Maddy couldn't believe this was happening. Was Mrs. Vanilla actually trying to get them to go? Did she want to get rid of them? Inside she screamed. Sure, it had been fun to go on the Candy Land Trail before but that was years and years ago. Couldn't the King forget about them? They had barely heard from His Majesty once all the celebrations had ended after they had found his Castle. She didn't want to be frozen forever in the image of who she was then.  
  
"But we're not little kids anymore!" she exclaimed. "Can't we ever grow out of that dumb title!?"  
  
"No," Mrs. Vanilla replied solemnly as she looked first in the eye, then the other. "Just as you can't grow out of your duty to this realm. I respect King Kandi very deeply. He's brought peace and security to this land. This herald here tells me that there's rumors of a dark power growing in the east. If His Majesty has faith that you can help him, well, I'll have faith in you as well."  
  
Yeah, sure, I'm just a regular night in shining armor, Tyler thought to himself. This was ludicrous! Did they expect them to just go pack up and leave for who knows how long? Did they really expect them to be happy to leave everything behind so that they could attend on the King at request?  
  
"But what if we don't want to go around saving kingdoms?" he asked.  
  
"Heroes aren't born," Mrs. Vanilla responded, "They're made. And often times, they're not made willingly." She stood back and regarded the twins. "Anyway, even if you're not going to Candy Castle, you're not to stay here. I don't want an army to come looking for you."  
  
"But what about the farm?" asked Maddy.  
  
"More help can be found."  
  
Maddy and Tyler looked at one another. As much as they hated this, she wasn't going to let them weasel out of it. Facing forward, they sighed heavily and looked at the floor. The two made a very pitiful sight.  
  
"Now go up, pack some things," Mrs. Vanilla shooed them gently.  
  
Tyler stood and Maddy followed suit. They trudged slowly up the stairs to their rooms.  
  
"And be sure to pack plenty of clean socks!!" she called after them. 


	5. Mrs Vanilla's Farewell

Tyler knocked softly on Maddy's bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. He pushed it open with his free hand. The other clutched the full pack he had slung over his shoulder. Maddy looked up from tucking in the last of her clothes.  
  
"Hey," she said when she saw him.  
  
"You ready?" Tyler asked  
  
"As much as I'll ever be," she responded, closing up her pack.  
  
"Also known as 'barely,'" Tyler replied, with a bit of a smile.  
  
"Well, you said yourself, what if I don't want to go around saving kingdoms?" Maddy said, turning around to face him.  
  
"Come on," he told her, going out the door. "We can't put it off forever."  
  
Maddy grabbed her pack and bounded out of her room after him, not wanting to have to look back. Something inside her told her she wouldn't be back by the end of the season.  
  
Tyler walked calmly down the hall but inside he was feeling uncomfortable. He did like getting off of the farm every now and again but not necessarily if it meant having to take a trip across the entire realm. He'd only done it once but that was when he was a wide-eyed kid in the home stretch of his toddler years.  
  
The two plodded down the stairs to where Mrs. Vanilla and the herald were sitting again. Mrs. Vanilla looked up from her favorite, overstuffed armchair and came to give them both a hug. The twins saw she was beginning to get teary-eyed.  
  
"Now, you two be good," she said as she embraced them both at once, "Remember to be very polite to His Majesty. Keep as clean as you can. I hope to see you both very soon, once this whole business is sorted out."  
  
"We will," said Tyler, nodding solemnly.  
  
"Bye," was all Maddy managed, hugging Mrs. Vanilla tighter.  
  
"Well, they're yours now," said Mrs. Vanilla, straightening and wiping tears from her eyes. She put her hands on the twins' backs and urged them forward. "Send me word when you arrive safely."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am," replied the herald, bowing politely. "I assure you, I'll take very good care of them."  
  
Maddy and Tyler made for the door. Mrs. Vanilla pulled out her handkerchief and blew her nose in it. Maddy shouldered her pack as she stepped out the door. The herald followed them both out, pulling his cloak about himself so the bright pink and white of his uniform was less visible. Mrs. Vanilla followed to the door but did not cross the threshold. She stood in the doorway, gazing after them. The herald untied his horse. It was a bay gelding and very handsome, though not so much now that he had dried sweat and dirt in his coat. He nodded to Mrs. Vanilla and led his horse away from the modest, half-timber house. Maddy and Tyler waved and took one last look back. Then they turned and followed the herald for the long journey to Candy Castle. 


	6. The Black Eagle

The twins walked in silence for a long time after they had turned away from their home. Each was consumed by their own thoughts. The herald had tried to initiate conversation a few times but any time he asked a question, he would be greeted with one-word answers. So, he had resigned himself to observing the beautiful jelly bean-crested hills that the pale dirt road wound through.  
A black eagle soared high above them, riding the chill drafts that blew above the rolling terrain. It watched the four small specks traveling north on a humble-looking dirt road. The grayish brown ribbon threaded through bright green hills towards the rest of the kingdom. Its eye swiveled about, checking the surroundings. Then, the eagle shrieked a loud call to the skies and pointed itself down towards the ground.  
Below, still trudging on the warm earth, Maddy, Tyler and the herald heard a faint cry.  
"Um. Jerome?" Maddy asked, after pausing a moment to remember the man's name "What do you think that was?"  
"I don't know and I don't like it," he responded. "Stay close."  
Maddy looked to Tyler. His features were drawn. A tone in Jerome's voice told him more than words ever could. Something was wrong. He watched Jerome pull out a dirk from a sheath behind the saddle on his horse. The bay paced frantically in fear. The weapon's polished blade gleamed in the sun and for a moment, all was quiet. Then, something black came pummeling at them from behind one of the hills with a loud shriek. Maddy and Tyler ducked in fear. The black eagle flew just a few feet above them and towards Jerome, who stood firm with his weapon and his horse's reins tightly in hand. The bird was unfazed and came at him low. Jerome swung at the attacker. The twins watched the blade become a shining streak in the air and a dark feather drop to the ground. But the eagle was not to be stopped. Before Jerome could attack again or avoid it, the dark bird circled and came at him with its talons open. The twins watched in horror as is swooped down on the man. It locked its long talons into his clothes and ripped off a chunk of his tunic and shirt. Jerome swung at it in an attempt to retaliate but missed. Still holding the pieces of pink and white cloth, the black creature beat its wings heavily to gain altitude. The gray dust on the road flew up and all covered their eyes. Maddy coughed on some dust that had blown into her mouth. Jerome almost doubled up to maintain his balance in the wind and swirling sand. Tyler crouched low to the ground. When the trio exposed their eyes again, the eagle was just disappearing over the crest of the nearest hill.  
"What was that?" asked Tyler, standing up.  
"Whatever it is, I don't want to risk another attack," replied Jerome, keeping his dirk in hand, "We move. Now."  
Maddy stood and readjusted her pack. Jerome picked up the black feather with a handkerchief, as if only touching it could bring the horrible bird back. After tucking it in a safe pocket, he started forward and his horse reluctantly followed. Tyler looked to his sister to be sure she was alright. She met his gaze with a look that told him she was startled but alright. Then, they faced forward and trudged behind the herald and his horse. 


	7. Stranger in the Dark

Tyler looked out over the vast landscape of western Candy Land. To the north was the Peanut Plains. To the south lay the Jelly Bean Hills. On all sides, the land reached out as far as he could see. The sun was setting on the western horizon and the few puffy clouds that drifted in the sky were turned red as cherries. The millions of slowly waving blades of grass were tipped with gold as the bright sun sank slowly below the earth. He looked back to the hills that had made their way out of and sighed. This was one crazy adventure already. He turned back to the small camp that they had made. Jerome's horse grazed on grass, its lead staked to the ground. Jerome himself stood next to it. His arms moved in small, steady circles as he cleaned the horse's coat of the dirt it had accumulated in the frantic trip to fetch the twins. Maddy sat off to the side, her eyes fixed on the flames of the small fire Jerome had constructed for cooking, warmth and light. Tyler approached and sat at her side after a quick glance at their packs, discarded to the side of the camp.  
  
"Hey," he said gently.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Tyler didn't know how to put everything in to words. He groped about for something to say. He needed to release the stress that the day's events had caused him but he didn't have the faintest idea of where to start. So, he said whatever came to him first.  
  
"Today was interesting, huh?"  
  
"Yeah," replied Maddy.  
  
For some reason, she felt a smile creeping across her features and then she had an irresistible urge to laugh. However, her throat was a bit choked up. So, she made a noise somewhere between a cough and a small laugh. Yet, somehow, that little noise released all the thoughts, doubts and confusions that had been running through her head ever since they had left. She felt utterly relieved and knew that Tyler must have been struggling to get that out as well.  
  
The two sat in silence for a while and listened to the fire's crackling and Jerome's soft whistling. Then, Maddy sensed something. She slowly sat up straight and looked cautiously around. She could feel it. Something was out there, beyond the circle of light the fire cast, somewhere in the ever-increasing dark. She stood up and grabbed a large, white candy stick from the fire and held it up like a torch.  
  
"What is it?" asked Tyler in a low voice.  
  
"Shhh."  
  
In truth, she didn't want to think about what it could be. She pushed the image of the black eagle to the back of her mind and took a deep breath. Then she started forward in slow, even steps. All that she could see with the torch was grass and dark. A few more steps forward. Maddy began to doubt herself. Maybe she was just being paranoid and had imagined something out there. Her eyes searched the darkness. Then, she heard a faint grumble and saw some kind of motion. She wanted to step forward but found herself frozen in place. Her heart pounded hard against her ribs and her breath became a bit ragged. Something was definitely out there but she wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was anymore. The grumbling got a bit louder. Maddy panicked but her limbs still refused to move. She stood stiffly, hoping that the thing wasn't interested in her. The grumbling was now closer than ever, and she could see a form moving out beyond the circle of light that her torch threw out. Then, she saw a glint of reflected light and the form stepped up to the outer reaches of the torchlight. That was more than enough. Maddy screamed and threw down the torch. She was about to back away when her scream was met with one by the thing. She looked closer and saw in the torchlight a small creature, only up to her shoulder in height. It was plump, furry and green, about the same color as the grass it stood on. Its hands and arms were covering its face and it was turned slightly away in a defensive position. Maddy stared in disbelief for a moment as Tyler came running towards her.  
  
"Plumpy?" she asked.  
  
The green creature uncovered its face and blinked its big eyes at Maddy, then Tyler who now stood behind her.  
  
"Maddy? Tyler?" it asked.  
  
Tyler nodded. Maddy smiled.  
  
"My, my, how nice to see you!" it said.  
  
Maddy laughed and ran to hug Plumpy. Indeed, it was the same Plumpa Troll they had met on their last adventure through Candy Land. Plumpy was The Last Of The Plumpa Trolls. He was short, stumpy and covered in green fur. His face featured two large, soft eyes, thick black eyebrows, and expressive mouth. Yet, the most characteristic of his features were two long tufts of fur that went from below his green puppy-dog nose down half- way to the ground and his two fuzzy, green horns. He wore only a pendant of a round, smooth purple gem mounted on a circular piece of dark magenta- painted wood. This was strung around his neck on a cloth band of the same color. All this signified his position as Caretaker of the Gingerbread Plum Trees.  
  
"I can't believe you scared me like that, Plumpy!" exclaimed Maddy. Tyler picked up the discarded torch to increase the amount of light.  
  
"Well, I didn't think that it could do any harm to go over and warm my toes by a fire," Plumpy responded.  
  
"What's going on here?" asked Jerome, who had been alerted by Maddy's scream and now came to see what was the matter.  
  
"It's okay, Jerome," said Tyler "Maddy saw something but it turned out to be Plumpy."  
  
"Good sir," said Jerome bowing low to Plumpy "To what do we owe the honor of your presence?"  
  
Plumpy bowed as low as his round stomach would allow him, which was wasn't far, then straightened himself. "I was traveling and was going to ask if I might warm my toes by your fire."  
  
"Well, by all means, come."  
  
"Thank you," replied Plumpy "but I seem to have dropped my basket of plums."  
  
"I'll help you find them," offered Maddy "After all, I'm the one who scared you."  
  
"Alright," said Plumpy "Tyler, can I borrow that torch?"  
  
"Here," said Tyler, handing it to him.  
  
"Now, let's see where that thing rolled to." started Plumpy as he and Maddy started off in search of his lost plums. 


	8. Duke Bitter

The black eagle flew low towards a huge encampment. Thousands of tents were set up and hideous creatures milled about between them. The beasts were hunched and distorted. Beauty, elegance, everything of the sort had been cast aside in place of necessity. The gnarled figures were vicious and cruel. They carried weapons of the earth, base metals, gleaming to remind of their deadliness. Each was revolting in its own unique way. Most were horribly disfigured, others left acid in their footprints, the rest were downright filthy.  
  
The black eagle soared well out of their reach, fully aware what they would do if they could touch it. One stupid beast threw a spear at the eagle but the bird flew too high. Even in its cold heart, the bird hated these things. They were a crime to nature. Instead, it kept its eyes off of the horrid creatures and continued on its way.  
  
Ahead, seated on top of a small, jagged cliff sat a dark castle. Its five tiers pierced the sky with their sharply pointed forms. Light shone out of its small windows into the twilight that hung over the barren land. The cold, dark gray stone looked icy compared to the light brown of the surrounding wasteland. It was slightly out of place yet fitting to command the region. The eagle made straight for the second-tallest tower.  
  
As it got closer, the eagle could make out more clearly the coarse rune carvings around the window openings. Half-way up the tier, it found the window with the familiar pattern and swooped into the castle. The room was dark and unfurnished, except for a central perch. The eagle landed on the metal rod and screeched its sharp call. Then, it bent down to grasp the pieces of cloth it still carried in its beak. A man soon came into the room wearing a leather glove on his outstretched arm. The bird glided onto it. Once the man was certain it was secure, he reopened the door and exited the room into a steep, downward-spiraling staircase.  
  
Down, down, down they went. The eagle caught its breath after flying so many miles and let the attendant carry it without struggle. Eventually, they came to a landing wider then the rest. The man exited the stairway and entered the main palace. The eagle was carried down a hallway to another, wider set of stairs, which they descended. Then, along another corridor and to a wide, dimly lit hall.  
  
Along the sides of this open room stood metal candelabrums, crudely wrought only for purpose. They held several candles each. The light barely reached the center of the hall but the eagle, with its skilled eyes, could see the dais that rose at the back of the room, with a heavy, well- cushioned chair on top. In the chair sat a dark figure, Duke Bitter. The Duke extended a thin, clammy hand towards servant and eagle. The dark bird flapped its wings and flew off of the leather glove to its master, landing neatly on the dais before him. The Duke stroked the large bird with his bony fingers.  
  
"What have you brought for me, my love?" he asked his loyal messenger in a raspy, acidic voice.  
  
The black eagle dropped the two pieces of cloth in its master's lap. The Duke picked them up and examined the pink and white scraps. His expression was unreadable. His features were set in deep shadows provided by his extremely high collar. Then, Bitter set the cloths down.  
  
"So, Kandi has gotten to them first. Well, I'll get those cursed Candy Land Kids soon enough."  
  
He stroked the eagle again as he paused.  
  
"Fetch me my generals. Make haste!"  
  
The attendant bowed low and exited the hall. Bitter continued to pet the bird as he laughed softly to himself.  
  
"We'll get them alright. By this time tomorrow, we'll be on the way to Candy Land." 


End file.
